THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS By Ajahn Sumedho - DharmaFlower.Net

INTRODUCTIONThat both I and you have had to travel and trudge through this longround is owing to our not discovering, not penetrating four truths.What four?They are: The Noble Truth of Suffering, The Noble Truth of the Originof Suffering, The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and theNoble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.[Digha Nikaya, Sutta 16]The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha’s teaching on theFour Noble Truths, has been the main reference that I have used formy practice over the years. It is the teaching we used in ourmonastery in Thailand. The Theravada school of Buddhism regardsthis sutta as the quintessence of the teaching of the Buddha. This onesutta contains all that is necessary for understanding Dhamma andfor enlightenment.Though the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is considered to be thefirst sermon the Buddha gave after his enlightenment, I sometimeslike to think that he gave his first sermon when he met an ascetic onthe way to Varanasi. After his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, theBuddha thought: "This is such a subtle teaching. I cannot possiblyconvey in words what I have discovered so I will not teach. I will justsit under the Bodhi tree for the rest of my life."For me this is a very tempting idea, just to go off and live alone andnot have to deal with the problems of society. However, while theBuddha was thinking this way, Brahma Sahampati, the creator deityin Hinduism, came to the Buddha and convinced him that he shouldgo and teach. Brahma Sahampati persuaded the Buddha that therewere beings who would understand, beings who had only a little dustin their eyes. So the Buddha’s teaching was aimed toward those withonly a little dust in their eyes - I’m sure he did not think it wouldbecome a mass, popular movement.After Brahma Sahampati’s visit, the Buddha was on his way fromBodh Gaya to Varanasi when he met an ascetic who was impressed byhis radiant appearance. The ascetic said, "What is it that you havediscovered?" and the Buddha responded: "I am the perfectlyenlightened one, the Arahant, the Buddha."I like to consider this his first sermon. It was a failure because theman listening thought the Buddha had been practising too hard andwas overestimating himself. If somebody said those words to us, I’msure we would react similarly. What would you do if I said, "I am theperfectly enlightened one"?